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Fat burning, unfortunately, is not all that simple. First, fat burning is a learned activity. Muscle cells must learn how to bum fat, and then fat cells must learn how to release fat to muscle cells. This doesn't happen overnight; usually from about three months to a year of consistent aerobic exercise are required. (That's one reason it's so easy to get frustrated and give up.) Second, for the fat-burning process to occur, the exercise must, as I've said, continue for at least 20 minutes. Moderate intensity is the best. (High-intensity activities burn more calories, but not necessarily fat calories.) Third, you need blood sugar (and I don't mean a candy bar). Look at it this way: Imagine that burning fat is like burning a log. If you light a match and hold it to the log, what happens? The match goes out—because what you need is kindling. In our bodies, sugar is the kindling for burning fat. No blood sugar, no fat burning. Complex carbohydrates like fruit or a whole-wheat bagel or a plain baked potato are the best foods to supply blood sugar for exercise. Fourth, the exercise intensity—how hard you work—must force your heart rate up to what's called a Target Heart Range (see below). When we exercise very slowly, our heart doesn't need to work any harder than normal, and it can't get any stronger. When we do too much, our heart poops out and so do we. But when we find the perfect, moderate heart rate, which is between 60 to 85 percent of our maximum heart rate, we use oxygen, burn fat, and improve cardiovascular conditioning. Don't forget that your heart is a muscle!
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